Poinsettia plant named ‘Duemerlot’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Duemerlot’, characterized by its inflorescences with inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and rounded plant habit; early flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Duemerlot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duemerlot’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated is a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-05-20, not patented. The cultivar Duemerlot was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in January, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings at Rheinberg, Germany since September, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duemerlot’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duemerlot’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts.     -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.     -   4. Early flowering; response time, about seven weeks.     -   5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the parent selection, plants of the new Poinsettia more compact, have darker red-colored flower bracts and have more cyathia per corymb.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Cortez Burgundy, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Cortez Burgundy in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Cortez Burgundy.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered earlier than plants of         the cultivar Cortez Burgundy.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and the cultivar Cortez Burgundy         differed in flower bract coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a single flowering plant of ‘Duemerlot’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the winter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 22° C. and light levels about 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 13-cm pots and pinched once about five weeks after planting. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar     Duemerlot. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number     E-05-20, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 9 days at 22° C.             Winter: About 13 days at 22° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 22° C.             Winter: About four weeks at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Moderately thick, fibrous, fleshy and             white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.         -   Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit.         -   Plant height.—About 26.3 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 30.7 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About five             to six lateral branches develop after pinching. Length:             About 11.3 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Internode length:             About 1.25 cm. Color: 137A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 10.1 cm. Width: About 6.5 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with             irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.             Surface: Mostly flat. Color: Developing foliage, upper             surface: 139A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137C.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 139A. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 138A. Venation, upper surface: 183C.             Venation, lower surface: 183B. Petiole: Length: About             4.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             183A to 183B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia. Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences             persistent. Natural flowering season: Autumn/winter in             Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is             induced under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time,             about seven weeks. Post-production longevity: Plants of the             new Poinsettia maintain good substance and bract color for             about eight weeks under interior conditions and about twelve             weeks under greenhouse conditions. Quantity of             inflorescences per plant: One per lateral branch, about six.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 15 to 20 cm. Height:             (depth): About 3 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence.             About 15. Length, largest bracts: About 9.5 cm. Width,             largest bracts: About 6.5 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with             irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire with irregular lobing. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Mostly flat, slighty             rugose. Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing             bracts, upper surface: 187B to 187C. Developing bracts,             lower surface: 185A. Fully developed bracts, upper surface:             53A; color becoming closer to 53B to 53C with development.             Fully developed bracts, lower surface: 53B. Venation, upper             and lower surfaces: Same as lamina. Flower bract petiole:             Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Grabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 187B.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About ten. Diameter             of cyathia cluster: About 3.5 cm. Length: About 5.4 mm.             Diameter: About 4.6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature and             mature: 143A. Peduncle: Length: About 2.8 mm. Diameter:             About 1.8 mm. Strength/aspect: Strong, curved. Color: 143B.             Stamens: Quantity of stamens per cyathiaum: About 29. Anther             shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color:             187A. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 14A.             Pistils: Quantity of pistis per cyathium: One. Pistil             length: About 6.3 mm. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color:             144B. Stigma color: 59A. Ovary color: 144A. Nectaries:             Quantity of nectaries per cyathium: One. Length: About             3.6 mm. Color: 15A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from 12 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Duemerlot’, as illustrated and described. 